I
take a speech class at a local
community college and I wanted
to inform my class about the
subject of Female Genital Mutilation,
and I was wondering if you could
answer a couple questions for
me:

1.
What do you forsee in the future
on the subject of Female Genital
Mutilation, do you think that
women all over the world will
someday be able to experience
the basic rights to deny mutilation
and forced abortions, etc.,
and if so when do you feel that
this will happen?

2.
What types of things is your
organization doing to help these
women?

3.
What can we as citizens do to
help?

Thank
you for you time and help it
is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Melissa

Dear
Melissa,

Thanks
for taking the time to inform
your class about Female Genital
Mutilation (FGM). I have attempted
to answer your questions and
also mentioned other organizations
that can be of further help
to you.

1.
Already FGM is a global problem
so it will take global solutions.

Previously,
we had thought that it was an
injustice concentrated in Muslim
and/or Middle Eastern and African
countries. While that is certainly
where most of the cases occur,
the "procedure" happens around
the world. The good news that
goes along with this is that
more and more people are learning
about it and more and more people
are learning that it is an injustice,
not culture (the latter had
previously been the argument
that people used to continue/justify
it). I think the first step
toward eradicating the procedure
is acknowledging that it is
a global problem--and that is
what we are in the midst of
today. A worldwide education
on the issue. Once we understand
that it does happen and where
it happens, as well as why it
happens, which is primarily
to keep women from realizing
their equal place in society--then
we can begin to change it. To
change it--we first need this
consciousness change. However,
because many people won't come
to these conclusions on their
own, we will need laws in place
that will monitor these injustices
and we will need penalties for
those who commit this acts of
human rights abuse that
go beyond a slap on the wrist.

2.Feminist.com has joined in
the movement to abolish FGM
in two main ways. One is
education--making sure our visitors
are aware that it happens, that
it's wrong to happen. In this
area, we provide the Feminist.com/V-Day Anti-Violence
Resource Guide, which includes
a listing of books and organizations
that are focused on this subject.
Books such as Warrior Marks
by Alice Walker and others by
Hanny Lightfoot Klein and Efua
Dorkenoo; two, is links to other
groups and promoting other groups
who are working to stop this
injustice--groups such as Equality
Now and fgm.org.
Also, we just posted a column
about FGM
by Equality Now.

3.
Citizens can educate themselves
and others on the subject.
They can lobby the UN to pass
restrictions; and they can put
pressure on the U.S. government
to allow women to immigrate
to this country when they don't
want to be forced to be mutilated
in their own countries. The
organizations mentioned above
will also have suggestions of
what citizens can do.

I
hope that helps--and thanks
again for making sure that your
classmates know about this injustice.